HARAM – s/t
by George Skafidas email
Rising phoenix-like from the ashes of bands such as Pg.99 and Majority Rule, Haram sound like none of their former projects.
Tired of going berserk over complex, ever changing tempos and harsh sonic eruptions, the four Americans take a different musical route this time. They decelerate noticeably and build a no-frills, yet overflowing with vibrancy sonic environment.
Putting the sound extremities of their past aside, Haram draw their influences from the likes of Sonic Youth, Jesus Lizard and Husker Du, among others, and go for a more straightforward and basic, indie rocking approach. To me, they could even be described as a noisier and punkier, do-it-yourself version of Modest Mouse.
This might be their debut full-length but it emits a kind of maturity you can rarely find in a debut. An independent punk feel and a noisy, at times, yet cohesively moody atmosphere come to infuse distinctiveness to Haram’s music. The vocals are clean and angry, the rhythm section provides a steady backdrop while the guitars flow like roaring waves that end up crashing into your eardrums.
“Haram” sounds like a record made by people who grew up in the late 80s / early 90s watching “120 minutes” and carries on to the 21 st century the high-quality, independent tradition of Sub Pop and Dischord.
morethansounds/08 May 2007
